Moga: Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially sounded the election bugle for the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls during a high-profile rally in Moga on Saturday. Addressing a large gathering, Shah asserted that the 19 per cent vote share secured by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2024 serves as a solid foundation for the party to form the next state government. He emphasized that political expansion in states like Assam and Odisha began with similar footholds, signaling a determined shift in the BJP’s strategy to contest Punjab independently and with the goal of absolute power.
In a sharp critique of the current administration, the Home Minister took direct aim at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, stating that the state requires serious governance rather than comedic leadership. Shah characterized the Aam Aadmi Party government as an “ATM” for Arvind Kejriwal, alleging that public funds are being diverted for Delhi-based interests while core promises remain unfulfilled. He specifically questioned the status of commitments regarding 25 lakh jobs, the establishment of 16 medical colleges, and the implementation of a comprehensive Minimum Support Price for all crops.
Central to his address was a pledge to tackle the state’s most pressing social and security challenges. Shah promised that the first legislative act of a BJP-led government in Punjab would be the passage of a strict anti-conversion law to prevent forced religious conversions. Furthermore, he tackled the drug crisis head-on, claiming that Punjab currently accounts for 45 per cent of the national drug trade. He vowed to completely uproot the menace within two years of taking office, arguing that only a “double-engine government” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi possesses the political will to eliminate narco-terrorism and gangster culture.
Shah also sought to strengthen the party’s connection with Sikh heritage, highlighting the Prime Minister’s personal initiatives such as the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, the removal of GST from Langar, and the institutionalization of Veer Baal Diwas. By contrasting these actions with the historical record of the Congress party, Shah appealed to the elders and mothers of Punjab for a mandate based on development and cultural respect. He concluded by urging the electorate to choose a path of stability and economic opportunity to rescue the state from its rising debt and administrative stagnation.
